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What They Do
About This Career
Formats and proofs text and images submitted by designers and clients into finished pages that can be printed. Includes digital and photo typesetting. May produce printing plates.
This career is part of the Arts, Audio-Video Technology and Communications cluster Printing Technology pathway.
A person in this career:
- Generates prepress proofs in digital or other format to approximate the appearance of the final printed piece.
- Proofreads and performs quality control of text and images.
- Enters, positions, and alters text size, using computers, to make up and arrange pages so that printed materials can be produced.
- Performs "preflight" check of required font, graphic, text and image files to ensure completeness prior to delivery to printer.
- Operates and maintains laser plate-making equipment that converts electronic data to plates without the use of film.
- Enters, stores, and retrieves information on computer-aided equipment.
- Maintains, adjusts, and cleans equipment, and performs minor repairs.
- Operates presses to print proofs of plates, monitoring printing quality to ensure that it is adequate.
- Selects proper types of plates according to press run lengths.
- Examines finished plates to detect flaws, verifies conformity with master plates, and measures dot sizes and centers, using light boxes and microscopes.
Working Conditions and Physical Demands
People who do this job report that:
- You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
- Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
- Work in this occupation involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time
- Work in this occupation involves sitting more than one-third of the time
Working in this career involves (physical activities):
- Identifying color and seeing differences in color, including shades and brightness
- Seeing clearly up close
- Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
- Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
Work Hours and Travel
- Regular working hours and limited travel
Specialty and Similar Careers
Careers that are more detailed or close to this career:
- Desktop Operator
- Electronic Prepress Operator (EPP Operator)
- Electronic Prepress Technician (EPP Tech)
- Plate Maker
- Plate Mounter
- Pre-Press Proofer
- Prepress Operator
- Prepress Specialist
- Prepress Stripper
Every year the U.S. Department of Labor conducts national surveys of wage data by occupation in every state and in all industry divisions. These surveys are conducted through the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program.
The statistics collected for one year are published the next fall. For example, 2013 wage information was published in the fall of 2014.
There are over 800 occupations in the surveys, and these occupations cover the entire U.S. labor market. The surveys ask for reports in a scale of ranges for both hourly wages and annual wages.
In many cases, these occupations are broad enough to cover many more detailed specialties of an occupation. A specific occupation may be included in a broader occupational category for which labor market data is available. When you look at the statistics for a broad category, be aware that the salary data for a specific career may differ.
For more details about how wage information is collected and calculated by the U.S. Department of Labor, visit their website at http://www.bls.gov/bls/blswage.htm.
Every year the U.S. Department of Labor conducts a national survey of over 400,000
employers in every state and in all industry divisions. This survey is conducted
through the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program. Every other year the
department publishes outlook information based on these surveys.
Each outlook period covers 10 years. For example, in 2003 the outlook information
was published for 2004-2014. Employers are asked to report the number of employees
in about 770 different occupations that cover the entire U.S. labor market.
From this information, staffing patterns for different industries are established.
Industry growth is projected into the future based on past trends and current economic
conditions. Industry staffing patterns are then applied to the industry projections
to obtain occupational projections.
In many cases, these occupations are broad enough to cover many more detailed specialties
of an occupation. A specific occupation may be included in a broader occupational
category for which labor market data is available. When you look at the statistics
for a broad category, be aware that the employment data for a specific field may
differ.
For more details about how employment information is collected and calculated by
the U.S. Department of Labor, visit their website at http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.tn.htm.
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